BACKGROUND: The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research was used to evaluate implementation facilitators and barriers of Specialty Care Access Network-Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (SCAN-ECHO) within the Veterans Health Administration. SCAN-ECHO is a video teleconferencing-based programme where specialist teams train and mentor remotely-located primary care providers in providing routine speciality care for common chronic illnesses. The goal of SCAN-ECHO was to improve access to speciality care for Veterans...

With the availability of oral care services very unevenly distributed in rural or remote areas, underserved people seek oral care from non-dental care providers. Against this backdrop, and coupled with the decreasing cost of and innovations in technology, there is a growing interest in the adoption of telemedicine services. Regardless of the lack of good-quality evidence supporting the cost-effectiveness of telemedicine, evidence already indicates that telemedicine, even with extra costs, helps in reducing the inequalities in the provision of primary health care...

BACKGROUND: Management of diabetes through improved glycemic control and risk factor modification can help prevent long-term complications. Much diabetes management is self-management, in which healthcare providers play a supporting role. Well-designed e-Health solutions targeting behavior change can improve a range of measures, including glycemic control, perceived health, and a reduction in hospitalizations. METHODS: The primary objective of this study is to evaluate if a mobile application designed to improve self-management among patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) improves glycemic control compared to usual care...

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the impact of telepsychology and same-room care on functioning, satisfaction, and perception of care based on a noninferiority trial of psychotherapy delivered via telemedicine or same-room care to elderly patients with depression. METHODS: 241 elderly patients with depression (meeting DSM-IV diagnostic criteria) were randomly assigned to either telemedicine (n = 120) or same-room treatment (n = 121) between April 1, 2007, and July 31, 2011...

BACKGROUND: Telemedicine, the use of telecommunications to deliver health services, expertise and information, is a promising but unproven tool for improving the quality of diabetes care. We summarized the effectiveness of different methods of telemedicine for the management of diabetes compared with usual care. METHODS: We searched MEDLINE, Embase and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases (to November 2015) and reference lists of existing systematic reviews for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing telemedicine with usual care for adults with diabetes...

BACKGROUND: Improving access to safe abortion is an essential strategy in the provision of universal access to reproductive health care. Australians are largely supportive of the provision of abortion and its decriminalization. However, the lack of data and the complex legal and service delivery situation impacts upon access for women seeking an early termination of pregnancy. There are no systematic reviews from a health services perspective to help direct health planners and policy makers to improve access comprehensive medical and early surgical abortion in high income countries...

BACKGROUND: Telemedicine applications aim to address variance in clinical outcomes and increase access to specialist expertise. Despite widespread implementation, there is little robust evidence about cost-effectiveness, clinical benefits, and impact on quality and safety of critical care telemedicine. The primary objective was to determine the impact of critical care telemedicine (with clinical decision support available 24/7) on intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital mortality and length of stay in adults and children...

OBJECTIVE: We examined whether teleconsultation from ambulances to a physician at an emergency medical communication center (EMCC) would increase the proportion of patients with nonurgent conditions being treated and released on site. METHODS: This research was a before-after pilot study. In the intervention period, the EMCC was manned 24/7 with physicians experienced in emergency care. Eligible participants included all patients with nonurgent conditions receiving an ambulance after a medical emergency call...

Oral anticoagulant therapies with the anti-vitamin K drugs (AVK), warfarin, acenocoumarol and phenprocoumon, are employed in primary and secondary anti-thrombotic prophylaxis in patients with venous thromboembolism, atrial fibrillation and cardiac mechanical valves. However, a monitoring test such as the International Normalized Ratio (INR) is required. The periodic monitoring of this therapy entails discomfort for the patients. Telemedicine and telecare can provide significant aid in the management of this therapy allowing patients to perform the test at home or anywhere else with a portable device, i...

OBJECTIVES: To assess the acceptability and quality of web-based videoconferencing telemedicine consultation platform in the treatment of opioid use disorder at TrueNorth Medical Centre. METHODS: We conducted an interview based quality improvement initiative using an investigator-designed questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of 17 Agree/Disagree questions, measured on a 7-point Likert scale and 2 questions where patients had the ability to elaborate qualitatively on their perceptions and experiences with their telemedicine service...

PURPOSE: To determine the incremental cost-effectiveness of a new telemedicine technician-based assessment relative to an existing model of family physician (FP)-based assessment of diabetic retinopathy (DR) in Singapore from the health system and societal perspectives. DESIGN: Model-based, cost-effectiveness analysis of the Singapore Integrated Diabetic Retinopathy Program (SiDRP). PARTICIPANTS: A hypothetical cohort of patients aged 55 years with type 2 diabetes previously not screened for DR...

INTRODUCTION: Health care demand is increasing due to greater longevity of patients with chronic comorbidities. This increasing demand is occurring in a setting of resource scarcity. To address these changes, high-value care initiatives, such as telemedicine, are valuable resource-preservation strategies. This study introduces the Roth score as a telemedicine tool that uses patient counting times to accurately risk-stratify dyspnea severity in terms of hypoxia. HYPOTHESIS: The Roth score has correlation with dyspnea severity...

: Dentistry increasingly uses Information and Communication Technology (ICT), which has impact on teaching, research, the profession and dental care in general. However, there is a lack of valid information on ICT resources and use in Latin America. This was a descriptive, cross-sectional, multi-center, interdisciplinary study, the aim of which was to conduct a survey on how extensively ICT is used in Dentistry in Latin American countries by enquiring into two primary components: 1) use of ICT in student training and 2) use of ICT by professionals in consulting rooms and services...

AIMS: To evaluate the quality of systematic reviews on telemedicine applications in palliative care. METHODS: A structured literature review was conducted to identify systematic reviews dealing with telemedicine in palliative care; the AMSTAR (Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews) checklist was used to appraise the evidence related to the systematic reviews. RESULTS: 405 records were initially identified; of these 14 were eligible for full-text analysis...

Importance: Telemedicine is becoming an increasingly important component of clinical care for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), but little information exists regarding the role of mosaic photography for ROP telemedicine diagnosis. Objective: To examine the potential effect of computer-generated mosaic photographs on the diagnosis and management of ROP. Design, Setting, and Participants: In this prospective cohort study performed from July 12, 2011, through September 21, 2015, images were acquired from ROP screening at 8 academic institutions, and ROP experts interpreted 40 sets (20 sets with individual fundus photographs with ≥3 fields and 20 computer-generated mosaic photographs) of wide-angle retinal images from infants with ROP...

BACKGROUND: Women have more frequent and severe ischemic strokes than men, and are less likely to receive treatment for acute stroke. Primary stroke centers (PSCs) have been shown to utilize treatment more frequently. Further, as telemedicine (TM) has expanded access to acute stroke care we sought to investigate the association between PSC, TM and access to acute stroke care in the state of Texas. METHODS: Texas hospitals and resources were identified from the 2009 American Hospital Association Annual Survey...

BACKGROUND: There is a critical shortage of pediatric rheumatologists in the US. Substantial travel to clinics can impose time and monetary burdens on families. The aim of this study was to evaluate the cost of in-person pediatric rheumatology visits for families and determine if telemedicine clinics resulted in time and cost savings. Factors associated with interest in telemedicine were also explored. METHODS: Surveys were offered to parents and guardians of patients in Pediatric Rheumatology follow-up clinics in Kansas City, Missouri, the primary site of in-person care, and at a telemedicine outreach site 160 miles away, in Joplin, Missouri...

BACKGROUND: Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM) patients among the children have been increasing rapidly in the recent years in Saudi Arabia, as a result there is a need for extensive research in this area. Various suggestions were kept forward including m-health technologies, telemedicine etc. However, very little research has been conducted in understanding the T1DM among the children, measures being taken to control, and the feasible policies and procedures that could be adopted for managing T1DM among child population...

BACKGROUND: Decentralised services using outreach clinics or modern technology are methods to reduce both patient transports and costs to the healthcare system. Telemedicine consultations via videoconference are one such modality. Before new technologies are implemented, it is important to investigate both the quality of care given and the economic impact from the use of this new technology. The aim of this clinical trial was to study the quality of planned remote orthopaedic consultations by help of videoconference...